A thug who repeatedly assaulted and harassed his pregnant girlfriend has been jailed for eight months.

Scott McElwee, 24, of Parkmore Drive in Derry, punched and kicked his victim in the stomach when she was 14 weeks pregnant.

McElwee admitted assault and harassment charges spanning April, May and June of 2020.

District Judge Oonagh Mullen said he “had shown no respect whatsoever for the woman”.

Derry Magistrates’ Court heard police were called to a domestic incident on Friday, April 10 where McElwee’s partner said she had been punched and kicked by him.

She was pregnant at the time, the court was told.

During police interview the defendant admitted pushing his partner, but denied hitting her.

In another incident, when the woman went to the defendant’s sister’s house, McElwee, who was not supposed to have been there, prevented her from leaving and assaulted her over a 20-minute period.

When she tried to leave, he kicked her down stairs causing her to hit her head off the door, the BBC reports.

During a further incident, the defendant followed the woman to a bus stop where he pushed her in the chest and stomach, the court was told.

He then punched and kicked her, despite the fact she was 14 weeks pregnant.

McElwee also admitted a charge of harassment and the court heard he had sent 46 texts and made 59 phone calls to his victim.

A defence solicitor told the court on Tuesday that these were “very serious offences” and their relationship had been “a very toxic one”.

Jailing the defendant for eight months, District Judge Mullen said McElwee’s offending had been “sustained behaviour” which must have been “very distressing” for his victim.S

John

Man jailed at Derry Crown Court for horrific attack on disabled man

Brian O’Hagan, 27, from Beragh Hill Road, Derry, punched and kicked his victim in the face during the robbery on October 24, 2018.

The man, who has spina bifida and epilepsy and uses a wheelchair, suffered a fractured eye socket.

O’Hagan, who admitted robbery, will serve 39 months in prison and the same on supervised licence by the Probation Servince on his release from jail.

Sentencing at Derry Crown Court, Judge Philip Babington described the robbery as “an appalling incident perpetrated on a disabled person living alone”.

The BBC reports that the court heard on Tuesday the victim told police two men had come to the door of his flat, stating they were from the ‘INLA’ and claiming to have a gun.

They knocked the victim’s wheelchair over before kicking and punching him.

The men demanded money and his bank card which he refused to hand over.

The court was told O’Hagan kicked his victim several times in the face and body during the robbery and said he was from the ‘IRA’.

A woman who was in the victim’s home at the time told the man to “let them do what they want, if they do what they want they won’t hurt you”.

He later managed to call the police and cowardly O’Hagan was arrested fleeing the scene.

Police recovered the victim’s mobile phone and money during a search of the defendant’s home, the court was told.
The victim’s blood was also found on O’Hagan’s shoes.

The judge was told the defendant had 39 previous convictions, six of them for theft.

Sentencing, the judge said not only was violence threatened but it was used.

“The offending is aggravated by the fact that the injured party was quite significantly disabled and was confined to a wheelchair,” he said.

It appears that he was kicked without mercy whilst he was lying helpless on the ground on several occasions.

“It is in many ways difficult to think of a more vulnerable injured party.

“Although his injuries were serious they could have been very much worse,” added Judge Babington.

John

A NEW bill to make stalking a specific offence in the North of Ireland for the first time is to be introduced before the end of this year.

Justice Minister Naomi Long has confirmed the assembly timetable.

The PSNI currently deals with stalking under the Protection from Harassment Order (NI) 1997.

The North of Ireland is the only part of the UK that does not have specific anti-stalking laws.

In a letter to Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong, the minister said a Protection from Stalking Bill will be introduced to the assembly in November or December.

Mrs Long said drafting of the legislation by her officials was at an “advanced stage”.

A public consultation on proposed legislation to tackle stalking was carried out last year, and found the majority of respondents strongly supported its introduction.

There is no timeframe yet as to how long it could take the bill to pass through all assembly stages before becoming law.

Kelly Andrews, of Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid, welcomed the progress.

“Stalking is a unique crime, driven by the fixation and obsession of the stalker and each stalking incident is different,” she said.

“It is a long-term pattern of behaviour that can last for weeks, months or even years.”

She added that the legislation was “vitally important to safeguard and protect victims and survivors of domestic violence”.

John

SEX offence convictions against 15 people in the North of Ireland are to be set aside because of “legislative error,” the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has said.

The cases involve 17 victims, the majority of whom were children at the time the offences occurred.

The PPS has discovered “a technical change in the law” in 2009 meant the cases should not have been prosecuted in a magistrates court.

It said it is “truly sorry” for the distress the news will cause victims.

The PPS will now consider whether or not to re-run the cases in a crown court.

The cases cover offences of indecent assault or unlawful carnal knowledge which occurred between 1973 and 2009.

PPS assistant director Ciaran McQuillan said: “This development will have come as a great shock and disappointment to the victims.

“It will also cause uncertainty for the defendants involved.

“The PPS has arranged for delivery of letters to all those affected with a detailed explanation of how the situation arose and the steps we are now proposing to take.”

The PPS said it was discovered that an amendment to legislation in 2009 had “unintentionally removed” the offences from those which could be prosecuted in a magistrates court.

That meant that from that point onwards the offences could only be prosecuted in the crown court.

As this change was inadvertent, it was not highlighted at the time to any of the agencies or practitioners in the criminal justice system, including the PPS.

John

£27m lotto winner Margaret Loughrey

Strabane woman Margaret Loughrey, who scooped a £27m jackpot in a Euromillions draw in 2013, mounted a challenge after being found to have discriminated against former general assistant Patrick Breslin.

But the Court of Appeal on Wednesday upheld a Fair Employment Tribunal’s verdict that she subjected the devout Catholic to a “corrosive” campaign of control and humiliation.

Lord Justice Treacy said: “There were many aggravating features in the case which exacerbated its seriousness.”

Ms Loughrey (55) employed Mr Breslin over a three-month period in 2016, initially on an informal basis to attend meetings, carry out administrative duties and general labouring.

Before taking up the job he had been out of work, on benefits and staying in rented accommodation.

He moved into one of Ms Loughrey’s properties, the court heard, and relied on her for somewhere to live when no tenancy agreement was provided.

According to Mr Breslin (35), her attitude changed dramatically after she provided a formal contract of employment.

He claimed on the day he signed off benefits he overheard her saying in a phone conversation, “I’ve got that b****** where I want him now” – an allegation she denied.

In evidence to the tribunal, Mr Breslin said Ms Loughrey let herself into the property while he was at work and moved one of his religious statues.

He testified of his shock at then receiving a text message asking: “Did you like where I left your silly person?”

Further alleged incidents involved Ms Loughrey, accompanied by two female employees, interfering with his statues and personal belongings, taking photographs and sending them to him.

These included:

A photograph of a Virgin Mary statue with a cigarette in its arms and a glass of whiskey in front of it.

A photo of a teddy bear lying on top of the Virgin Mary, accompanied by a text message saying, “The puppet you worship is no longer a virgin”.

A photo of a statue of Catholic saint Padre Pio on top of the Virgin Mary.

Mr Breslin claimed that when he asked her not to enter the house again, she shouted: “I pay your f****** wages, not some make-believe puppet.”

He also testified that she complained he was “always running to Mass” and told him he would have to choose between her and God. She berated him because he was male and told him that “all men are b******s”, according to his evidence.

However, Ms Loughrey insisted he had consented to her accessing his home to use the washing machine.

Regarding the treatment of his statues and possessions, she claimed it was “just three girls having a laugh” in harmless incidents Mr Breslin had also found funny.

Her alleged criticism of his frequent church attendance was described as “a bit of banter between friends”.

In June 2016 Mr Breslin was said to have been sacked in a text message which read: “You are f***** Paddy… Get back into the old house, you will need to sign back on.”

He took an employment case against her, claiming she had fired him suddenly and repeatedly ridiculed him for his devout faith, as well as his gender.

In December 2018 the tribunal found Ms Loughrey had discriminated against Mr Breslin on the grounds of his religion and sex.

The panel also held that he had been unfairly dismissed and ordered her to pay him £30,000 for injury to his feelings.

Ms Loughrey appealed the decision, arguing that the award was manifestly excessive.

But Lord Justice Treacy dismissed the challenge after ruling that the tribunal was entitled to reach findings based on Mr Breslin’s consistent and reliable evidence, along with supporting texts and photographs.

Citing conclusions that Ms Loughrey’s behaviour displayed “all the hallmarks of a campaign of control and denigration”, the judge also backed the maximum award of compensation for injury to Mr Breslin’s feelings.

John

Dissident republican supporters Maghaberry Prison on Saturday for protest

A police officer was injured as a result of trouble at the demonstration in support of dissident republicans refusing meals.

They were protesting over prisoner Dr Issam Bassalat being held in a COVID-19 isolation area.

It has been prison policy since March that anyone entering the jail is isolated for 14 days as a precaution.

The protest was organise by Saoradh, the political wing of the New IRA.

The four men appeared at Lisburn Magistrates’ Court via videolink from police custody.

Jude McCrory, 23, from Magowan Park in Derry, was charged with disorderly behaviour.

The other three men – Emmet McSheffrey, 21, from Oakland Park, Derry; Caoimhin Murphy, 20, from Altowen Park, Coalisland; and Jordan Devine, 20, from Synge Court, Derry – were charged with rioting.

McSheffrey, Murphy and Devine were also charged with having fireworks without a licence.

The court heard that the charges arose following an overnight protest involving “over 100 people” at the prison visitors centre.

A PSNI detective sergeant said there had been a “confrontation with police” and that there had been “fireworks thrown over the perimeter fence”.

Devine, the court heard, is alleged to have “thrown at least five missiles” at police.

The court also heard that McCrory’s charge of disorderly behaviour arose when the others were being arrested so “is separate from the activity of the protestors”.

The police did not object to the defendants being freed on bail and the officer said that the police do not have “evidence that they organised it [the protest] but certainly they’re influential”.

The detective asked for bail conditions to include a curfew and a ban on being in a private vehicle but the judge refused after hearing defence submissions.

Defence lawyers argued that with Dr. Bassalat’s quarantine ending tomorrow “there will be no further protests”.

All four were freed on their own bail of £500 with conditions, including that they are “not to be within 100 metres of a notified or unnotified protest”.

Their cases were adjourned until Monday, October 26.

John

THE Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has stuck to its original decision to bring charges against no more than one soldier in relation to Bloody Sunday.

It followed a review of the cases of 15 veterans it determined there should be no action against last year.

Thirteen people were killed and 15 were wounded when the Army opened fire on civil rights demonstrators in Derry in January 1972.

A 14th person later died of their injuries.

One man, Soldier F, remains the sole individual facing court.

The reviews were requested by the families of some of the victims.

No new evidence was submitted for the reviews and solicitors for the families sent detailed submissions to the PPS setting out why they believed the decisions were wrong.

They believe about 10 other soldiers should be facing prosecution for murder and attempted murder.

The PPS said the reviews were undertaken by its senior assistant director, Marianne O’Kane, who was not previously involved in the cases.

She looked at the deaths of 10 victims who died on Bloody Sunday, as well as 10 others wounded.

She said: “I have concluded that the available evidence is insufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction of any of the 15 soldiers who were the subjects of the reviews.

“Accordingly, the decisions not to prosecute these 15 individuals all stand,” she continued.

“I know that today’s outcome will cause further upset to those who have pursued a long and determined journey for justice over almost five decades.

“I can only offer reassurance to all of the families and victims of Bloody Sunday, and the wider community, that my decisions were conducted wholly independently and impartially, and in accordance with the Code for Prosecutors.”

Killed on Bloody Sunday: The victims

He is to stand trial accused of murdering James Wray and William McKinney in Derry in 1972 and is further charged with five counts of attempted murder.

Four of the attempted murder charges relate to the wounding of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon and Patrick O’Donnell.

The fifth relates to persons unknown.

John

The naked body of Derry man Gerard Hampson was found in 2008. Police now treating his death murder

Gerard Hampson (53) of Northland Road in the city went missing at the end of 2007.

A search was carried out and his family appealed for information and on January 9, 2008, Mr Hampson’s naked body was found on the shores of Lough Neagh.

At a pre-inquest review, Coroner Joe McCrisken inquired as to progress with the application for PPI usually made where there are sensitive issues relation to security which the police do not want in the public domain.

He was told that the relevant documents had gone from the Chief Constable of the PSNI and were now with the relevant minister.

But no indication had been given when they would be dealt with.

The Coroner said he would adjourn the hearing until November 24 in order to hear the PII application with a view to setting a date for the inquest in early 2021.

The family of Mr Hampson – known to his friends as ‘Shorty’ – have long maintained that their father was the victim of foul play and a pathologist report noted ‘there must be considerable suspicion around his death.’

A report by the police ombudsman was extremely critical of their handling of the case and subsequently eight officers were disciplined.

A 57 year old man arrested by detectives on suspicion of the murder of Michael Gerald Hampson was later released from custody.

The PSNI say the suspect has been freed pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service.

The naked body of the Derry republican – known to his friends as ‘Shorty’ – was found on the shores of Lough Neagh near Toomebridge, in January 2008.

It was recovered six weeks after the family of the Derry man reported the 53-year-old missing.

A pathologist who carried out a post mortem examination on his remains said a possible cause of death was drowning and “there must be considerable suspicion around his death.”

At the time he went missing Mr Hampson was wanted for questioning in connection with a double abduction in Co Westmeath and a shooting in Derry in 2007.

A brother-in-law of the late Sinn Féin leader Martin McGuinness, Marvin Canning, was charged in connection with the episode but the prosecution was later dropped.

John

Woman appears at Omagh Magistrates’ Court over Coronavirus breaches

Sinead Corrigan, 46, from Dillon Court, Strabane, is charged with contravening COVID-19 restrictions and failing to comply with a prohibition notice on 3 October.

She is the first person to be charged with breaching regulations here.

The 46-year-old has been released on conditional bail.

A PSNI officer told Enniskillen Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Omagh, that officers were initially called to reports of a party at Ms Corrigan’s home on October 2.

The court was told six people were suspected of being there, five of them from outside the area.

She was served with a prohibition notice but had another party the following day involving eight people.

When officers arrived, one was found hiding in a kitchen cupboard and another was asleep on a bed.

The court heard that the defendant told police that she “didn’t care about the regulations and would continue to party as she wished”.

The officer told the court that police opposed bail and that the “defandant has been causing a lot of annoyance to other residents in the area”.

The judge pointed to Ms Corrigan’s remarks on her intention to continue to breach rules.

However. a defence solicitor said, given the nature of the charges, refusing bail would be “unprecedented”.

He told the court: “My client advises this has been the longest weekend of her life.

“This was a wake-up call.

“She will agree to any conditions imposed by the court.”

The judge agreed to release Ms Corrigan on £500 bail to reside at an address approved by police.

She must abide by a 11 pm to 7 am curfew and is banned from possessing or consuming alcohol in public.

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A 34 year old man has been charged with failing to notify police of required information’ as required by virtue of Article 4 of Counter Terrorism Act 2008.

He is expected to appear at Derry Magistrates’ Court on November 4.

As is usual procedure the charges will be reviewed by the PPS.

The man was arrested earlier today by detectives from the PSNI’s Terrorist Investigation Unit.

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Derry Saoradh chairman Joe Barr (front centre) remanded in custody on IRA terrorist offences

Derry man Joe Barr claimed the case was undermined because no outlawed grouping had been specified in the charge against him.

But the Court of Appeal on Wednesday ruled that his prosecution did not require precision about paramilitary factions.

Lord Justice Treacy said: “It would be wrong to require a degree of specificity in the charges which would prevent the legislation from achieving its purpose.”

Joe Barr, 32, challenged his conviction for wearing clothing in a way to arouse suspicions that he was a member or supporter of a proscribed organisation.

He was among 12 men said to have been observed by police marching in a military formation at the funeral of Michael Barr in Strabane, Co Tyrone in May 2016.

The deceased, a 34-year-old from the Tyrone area, had been shot dead in a Dublin pub.

His killing has been linked to a bitter feud between warring Irish gangland bosses.

Hundreds of mourners attended the murder victim’s funeral Mass, with a dozen individuals dressed in paramilitary-style uniform seen flanking the cortege on its way to the church.

Fifteen men were arrested following the service and questioned about alleged membership of a dissident republican grouping known as the New IRA.

The paramilitary funeral of Michael Barr in Strabane in 2016

A judge imposed a £375 fine for the offence under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The case was referred to the Court of Appeal to examine the lawfulness of the conviction.

Barr’s legal team argued that the way the prosecution framed its charge was unprecedented and unlawful.

In other cases the proscribed organisation has always been named, his lawyers claimed.

By failing to select any proscribed organisation at all, they argued, Barr could not have known with any precision what he had been charged with.

The prosecution countered that the outlawed grouping did not have to be specified for the charge in question.

Senior judges were also told it was a “fallacy” to suggest Barr had any doubt which organisation he was being questioned about in police interviews.

Dismissing the appeal, Lord Justice Treacy held that the conviction complied with legal requirements and guidance in previous case law.

He added: “The legislation does not require the suspicion to be precise in relation to factions.

“If it were otherwise it would be extremely difficult to utilise the Act to prevent public displays of paramilitary power because the internal workings of these organisations cannot be known by observation alone.”

Barr is currently in custody after being charged with IRA membership offences after MI5 bugged two meetings of the New IRA leadership and secretly recorded what was said.

At the time of his arrest, Barr was the chairman Derry’s Saoradh branch, which is the political wing of the New IRA.

This week Saoradh members protested inside the Derry branch of Santander claiming the bank had frozen or shut down accounts of local republicans.

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Man to face Derry court next month on Counter Terrorism breach

He is due to appear at Derry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, November 4.

As is usual procedure all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

The 50-year-old is the second person to be detained in the city under the Counter Terrorism Act.

Yesterday, a 33-year-old man was also arrested for Failure to Notify Police of Required Information.

He has since been charged with the offence and is expected to appear at Derry Magistrates’ Court on the same date.

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A WOMAN charged with breaching coronavirus regulations in the North of Ireland could take civil action against police, a court has heard.

Sinead Corrigan, from Dillon Court, Strabane, is charged with contravening restrictions and failing to comply with a prohibition notice on 3 October.

She is the first person in the North of Ireland to be charged with breaching regulations.

The 46-year-old appeared in court on Thursday after breaching bail conditions.

Before to her first court appearance on October 5, the defendant had been served with two prohibition notices for holding house parties, and had been arrested after a third party.

She was released on conditional bail to reside at an address approved by police, abide by a 11 pm to 7 am curfew and a ban on possessing or consuming alcohol in public.

Today, Thursday 8, Strabane Magistrates’ Court was told police had called at her home to conduct a bail check and she was not there.

Instead, she was found asleep on a sofa at another address and admitted being aware this breached her bail conditions.

Her solicitor told the court it seems the prosecution “seek a remand in custody for a lady who can’t be in prison for these offences”.

“It’s an unconscionable position,” the solicitor said.

“For offences that can only be disposed of by fine, my client has spent four of the last five nights in custody.

“The detention may well have been unlawful and there will most likely be a civil case in respect of that.”

District Judge Mark McGarrity agreed to give Corrigan bail on the same conditions.

He told the court: “These may be charges which only carry a fine and they don’t change or there may possibly be more serious charges.

“You should nonetheless adhere to the terms of bail.

“If you breach again it’s quite likely you will remain in custody, because the court might form the view there’s a risk of re-offending.”

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No jury trials can take place at Derry courthouse yet

But none are listed for Derry’s courthouse at Bishop Street as the premises is currently fit to hold juries because of the age of the premises and would be difficult to control social distancing of two metres.

Recently the Recorder of Derry Judge Philip Babington muted the idea of drafting in two cruise ships for Derry an Belfast ports in an effort get jury trials underway.

The five courthouses have been fitted with glass and plastic screens for the protection of those in the courtroom.

It follows the return of socially-distanced juries to three crown courts at Belfast’s Laganside Courts complex in August.

The courts that will also start hosting jury trials are in Antrim, Craigavon, Newry, Coleraine and Dungannon.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said it had taken a “considerable amount of time and effort” to allow the return of juries.

She said the measures would allow trials to proceed safely “amid concerns about Covid in the wider community”.

“All of this work, plus the deployment of technology for remote, hybrid and in-person hearings has ensured that justice has not ground to a halt in the criminal, civil and family courts and also tribunals,” she said.

“The progression of cases is important for victims, complainants, defendants and witnesses and our courts and tribunals are striving in unprecedented times to ensure we can do just that.”

No jury trials took place in the North of Ireland between March and August.

At the start of lockdown, courts were moved to five court hubs, with some hearings being conducted in person, but most being conducted remotely.

The number of court venues for criminal, civil and family cases, and tribunals, has expanded to 15 since August, with 57 courtrooms available for courts and tribunals business.

As part of the return, a number of additional safety measures are being taken.

These include:

Individual Bibles and other religious texts being provided in polythene bags for jurors to take oaths

Crown court trials being divided in two, where one courtroom is used for hearings and another for jury deliberation

Hand sanitising stations being provided throughout

All court users required to wear facemasks in communal public spaces, unless they have a medial reason

“Additional cleaning measures have been put in place to ensure that all surfaces are cleaned in courtrooms after they have been used,” said the justice minister.

“Public safety remains a priority for the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service, which has been working closely with the Public Health Agency (PHA), the Office of the Lord Chief Justice and other partners to adapt venues and ensure court proceedings can be conducted safely.”

Mrs Long added her thanks to the staff in the courts service and throughout the justice system who have worked to make the return of in-person juries possible.

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A WOMAN charged with breaching Covid-19 regulations has appeared in court again over another alleged party at her house.

Sinead Corrigan, 46, of Dillon Court, Strabane, was charged after police were called to her home on Monday morning.

A second woman, Antoinette Lindsay, 35, of Patrick Street, Strabane, was also charged having been found on the premises.

A judge said Ms Corrigan “couldn’t care less about restrictions”.

Both women were re-admitted to bail at Enniskillen Magistrates’ Court (picture above).

Exactly a week ago, Ms Corrigan became the first person in the North of Ireland to be charged with breaching health and protection coronavirus regulations.

She was also accused of failing to comply with a prohibition notice.

Prior to this she had been served with two prohibition notices for holding house parties, telling police at the time that she “didn’t care about the regulations and would continue to party as she wished”.

Under Covid legalisation, such offences carry only monetary penalties.

Police objected to bail at Enniskillen Magistrate’s Court but the judge said “they’ll need to think of a new offence”.

Both women appeared separately by video-link, where Ms Corrigan spoke only to confirm she understood the charges.

Ms Lindsay, however, became extremely agitated claiming: “I was only there because I was being harassed by paedophiles who threatened to come and get me.”

She too has been given prohibition notices recently and is now accused of contravening Covid regulations on October 12.

In a hearing last week, police raised concerns over Ms Corrigan’s behaviour, which the court was told has been causing other residents in her area ongoing distress and disruption.

She was released but found herself back in court within days for allegedly breaching bail conditions, but was again freed with a warning.

A defence lawyer has already entered guilty pleas on Ms Corrigan’s behalf, but these cannot be accepted at present as the matters are handled by a separate unit within the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).

On learning this, the judge said that “we’re going round in circles”.

While conceding this was Ms Corrigan’s second breach, the defence stated: “I don’t believe my client can be remanded in custody on a fine-only offence.”

The judge said: “She can be made subject to bail and lifted if it’s breached.

“She made it clear she has no intentions of behaving in a responsible way like everyone else is required to.

“She couldn’t care less about Covid restrictions.”

Ms Corrigan was released again on £500 bail and ordered to reside at an address approved by police, observe a curfew from 11 pm to 7 am and banned from possessing or consuming alcohol.

The judge refused a police suggestion to make the Covid regulations part of bail, stating that “would be like including a condition not to break the law”.

A similar position applied in respect of Ms Lindsay with the judge setting identical terms to Ms Corrigan.

Both matters have been adjourned for mention at Strabane Magistrates’ Court later this month.

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A MAN from Co Derry has been charged after cocaine with an estimated value of £6 million was seized at the Port of Holyhead in Wales.

James Joseph Gray, 51, is accused of exporting Class A drugs.

The PSNI’s Det Ch Supt John McVea said he believed the drugs were “destined for Northern Ireland”.

Mr Gray appeared before Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on Monday and was remanded into custody.

Border Force officers found around 83kg of cocaine in a lorry with refrigerated goods at the port on Friday.

The investigation also involved members of the National Crime Agency (NCA) and PSNI, who conducted follow-up searches.

Det Ch Supt McVea said the drugs “would have caused significant harm to people living in our communities”.

“This seizure is one of the largest in recent times and demonstrates that we will continue in our relentless pursuit of removing these dangerous drugs from society,”

NCA branch commander David Cunningham said the investigation is ongoing, however, the seizure has “significantly disrupted and damaged the criminal enterprise”.

Gray is expected to appear again before Caernarfon Crown Court on November 9.

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DETECTIVES from the PSNI’s Terrorist Investigation Unit have charged a 44 year old man with Failing to Notify Police of Required Information under the Counter Terrorism Act 2008.

He is due to appear at Derry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, November, 4.

As is normal procedure all charges will be reviewed by the PPS.

He was detained by police in the city on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old is third person in the city to be charged to court for the notification breach in the past two weeks.

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A 47 year old man has been charged with arson endangering life following a fire at a flat in a building on Richmond Avenue in Derry yesterday evening, Monday 26 October.

He is expected to appear before Derry Magistrates’ court on Wednesday, October 28.

As is the usual procedure the charge will be reviewed by the PPS.

The flat was unoccupied at the time.

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How it looked at the hairdressers when they reopened in the North on July 6 with staff and customers wearing protective masks

It was heard at the High Court in Belfast on Thursday.

Traders claimed it was an arbitrary and disproportionate step taken with no proper explanation and put jobs at risk and indirectly discriminated against women working in the sector.

But Mr Justice McAlinden ruled that they had no chance of succeeding.

He said the challenge was made amid unprecedented efforts to fight a “recalcitrant” virus.

Mr Justice McAlinden told the court: “Under no circumstances could it be said that the actions of the executive in promoting this wide-ranging, overarching response, with a view to achieving the absolutely necessary aim of combating this infection, could be described as being manifestly without reasonable foundation or justification.”

Emergency judicial review proceedings were brought after Department of Health regulations imposed a 28-day closure of salons from October 16.

Barbers, hair salon, pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels in Derry went back into lockdown two weeks earlier a massive spike in Coronavirus cases.

Barber and tanning shop owner Jason Shankey, Roamer Health and Holistic Clinic and DKY Hair Company brought the case on behalf of the wider “close contact” industry in Northern Ireland.

Their barrister argued that the executive decided on the shutdown without sufficient reasons.

She compared the estimated 0.05 cut in the virus’s reproduction rate (R number) through the restrictions imposed on the sector with a potential 0.1 reduction from closing churches and community centres, which have been allowed to remain open.

“Difficult decisions have to be made by the executive, but that doesn’t mean they are immune from scrutiny,” the barrister insisted.

At one point Mr Justice McAlinden suggested the public’s health and wellbeing could have been a factor in closing those businesses rather than places of worship.

“Might the reason be the ability to exercise their deeply held religious beliefs in a time of crisis (was regarded) as more important and more significant than the need to get their hair done?,” he asked.

The businesses’ barrister insisted that it was the role of the judiciary to scrutinise the process.

“We are not talking about Covid deniers, we are not talking about people complaining about wearing masks on public transport,” she said.

It will all change at Colum Cooke Hairdressing when it reopened in July but is now shut over new restrictions

She submitted that the reasons why hair and beauty salons were chosen has not been properly disclosed.

“There are serious, debilitating and existential threats to the applicant’s businesses and the livelihoods of people who work for them,” she added.

“When those are the risks they are entitled to demand that the court performs the role it is established to perform, which is to provide a check, if needed, on the use of executive power.”

However, Mr Justice McAlinden rejected claims that refusing to grant leave to seek a judicial review would be an abdication of responsibility to hold government to account.

Pointing to the separation of executive and judicial powers, he also emphasised the efforts being made by the multi-party Stormont administration in response to the crisis.

“There may well be some arguments in relation to the choice of measures made and taken by the executive in this particular instance,” he acknowledged.

“But on a global appreciation of the issues at stake, not only for these individuals but for society at large, and in particular vulnerable members of our society whose Article 2 rights (to life) are crucially engaged in this pandemic, the court concludes that the application for leave fails on the basis that there are no reasonable prospects of success.”

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A 17 year old male has been charged with a number of offences including two counts of aggravated burglary with intent to steal.

He is further accused of using a motor vehicle without insurance and aggravated vehicle taking causing damage to the vehicle.

The teen is due to appear at Derry Magistrates’ Court on Friday, October 30.

As is normal procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

The charges are in relation to a series of burglaries that took place in the Ridgeway Drive area of Derry on Wednesday, October 28.

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